Abiding Hope: A Novel: Healing Ruby Book 4 Page 17

  She turned on the water and rinsed a plate, shrugging her shoulders. “No, not at all. I’m thrilled Mike’s home. It’s good to see the Sawyers so happy.” She plugged up the sink and dropped in a bit of detergent.

  I had no idea how to ask what I needed to know. “Look, I’m just going to ask you straight out. Was there ever anything…romantic between you and Mike?”

  She scrubbed at the plate in her hand, but didn’t look up. “No.”

  “’Cause if there was, you know, I mean…the army told you I was dead. I could understand if—”

  “Nothing happened,” she said, turning her gaze to mine. “He’s been a good friend. That’s all.”

  “I see.”

  The kitchen door opened, and Mrs. Sawyer stuck her head around it. “We’re going out back for some dessert. Grace, can you two grab the ice cream and some bowls and bring them out to the table?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ruby answered.

  The door closed. Another thought occurred to me. “Does Mike know who you really are?”

  “No. I never told him.”

  “But he was there when Natalie threw her temper tantrum on Mindanao. He must have heard everything.”

  “He never said a word to me about it.” She dried off her hands and opened the cabinets. “Look in the icebox over there and get the ice cream out, will you?”

  I did as she asked, but I couldn’t stop wondering why Mike wouldn’t have ever brought up Natalie’s accusations. Had he said anything to his family? I stood in front of the kitchen door, forcing Ruby to stop. “Do you really not understand how important this is?”

  “Look, if he did hear Natalie, he probably just dismissed it. I was so focused on finding you that we never talked about much else while we were in Australia. And I’ve only seen him a few times since.”

  “I know you’re not going to like this,” I said. “But if Mike knows anything about who you are, and if he’s ever said anything to his family, then we’re going to have to cut ties with them.”

  “What? Cut ties with them? They’re the closest thing we have to family! We aren’t cutting ties with them.”

  “We can’t be stupid about this. Just because they’re kind to us doesn’t mean we should risk your freedom. You have to think about all of us involved. If your true identity is ever discovered, then everyone who ever helped you will go down with you. Do you really want that for the Sawyers? You want them to go to prison for harboring a fugitive?”

  She set the bowls down on the counter and closed her eyes. She was quiet for a minute before she turned to me and raised her chin. “Matthew, I won’t live a lie for the rest of my life. I won’t put you and Hope, and everyone I care about, through all this deception. It’s not right.”

  My nerves tightened. “What are you saying?”

  She took a deep breath and set the bowls on the counter. “I’m saying that I believe it’s God’s will for me to go back to Alabama and turn myself in.”

  I had to have misunderstood her. I set the ice cream down and tried again. “What did you just say?”

  “I’ve prayed about this every day for over eight years. And God has shown me over and over that I was never meant to live a lie. It’s why I lost my gift. It’s why I’ve struggled to feel His presence. I can’t keep lying.”

  The door swung open again, and this time Jillian came into the kitchen with her baby on her hip. She smiled curiously at us. “What are you two doing in here? Everyone’s waiting on the ice cream outside.”

  “We’ll be right there,” Ruby said.

  “All right.” Jillian shrugged. “Need me to get anything?”

  I took the ice cream and handed it to Jillian. “Actually, can you take this outside for me? I just remembered something I need to take care of.”

  “Sure,” she said, lifting an eyebrow at Ruby before walking out.

  “I can’t do this right now,” I said. “I can’t even think about us going back to Alabama. You have lost your mind.”

  “Matthew—”

  “No,” I said, raising my hands to keep her from coming near. “Over all the years I’ve known you, you’ve said and done a lot of things I didn’t understand. But I’ve always tried to support you, even when I thought you were being foolish. But this…this is insane. I can’t even talk to you right now.” I pushed the kitchen door open and headed past the dining room to the foyer.

  Ruby followed me. “Where are you going?”

  “Out.”

  “Matthew, please don’t walk away.”

  I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t think. My chest tightened as I slammed the front door. I needed air. I needed to walk and make sense of the craziness in my wife’s head. Better yet, I needed a drink.

  ***

  I found a bar a few blocks from the house and took a seat near the back. I hadn’t cared much for the whiskey on the train, so I opted for a beer instead. I was still fuming over Ruby’s words, mostly because I knew in my heart that once she set her mind on something, there was no changing it. Didn’t she understand she’d be dragging me into her plan as well? And what about Hope? Had she even thought about how our daughter would be affected if her mother were executed for murder?

  I downed the first beer.

  On the radio from behind the bar, Johnny Mercer told me I needed to “ac-cent-tchuate the positive and e-lim-minate the negative.” So I ordered another beer. That should help, I thought. By the time Johnny was finished singing, I was finished with my second.

  I ordered a third as a news report began. A fellow a few stools down from me yelled at the bartender to turn it up. The broadcaster jumped immediately into the progress of the US forces in bombarding the Japanese mainland. A round of cheers went up, and I raised my glass to the brave men continuing the war I’d left behind. Then I downed that drink as well.

  By the time I returned to the Sawyers’ house, everything was dark and quiet. As I made my way up the stairs, I had to hold onto the rail. I wasn’t exactly drunk, but the alcohol had definitely made the world just a bit unsteady. But it had also eased the tension coursing through me, and that felt amazing. Maybe I’d be able to sleep through an entire night.

  I entered the room as quietly as I could, kicking something near the bed. I froze, waiting for Ruby or Hope to stir, but neither of them moved. I removed my shoes and undressed to my shorts and undershirt, and tiptoed around the cot at the end of the bed. It was empty.

  As my eyes adjusted to the dark room, I saw Hope curled up on my side of the bed. I debated on whether I should move her, but in the end, the prospect of a full night’s sleep won out. I lifted her as gently as I could and tucked her under the covers on the cot.

  Finally, I scooted beneath the blanket into the bed beside Ruby. Looking at her back, I wondered if I should wake her. Had she waited up for me long?

  “You broke your promise,” she said without rolling over.

  “What? What promise?” I pulled on her shoulder until she was facing me.

  “You promised Hope you would read to her. She was so disappointed.”

  Guilt washed over me. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to her.”

  In the sliver of moonlight, I could see Ruby’s nose wrinkle. “Have you been drinking?”

  “Just a couple of beers to relax, that’s all.”

  She put a hand on my cheek, studying me closely. “Matthew, we should talk about what I said earlier.”

  I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “Not tonight. I’m exhausted. We’ll talk tomorrow, all right?”

  “All right.” She wasn’t convinced, I could tell. But my eyes were so heavy, and the bed so soft. All I wanted to do was sleep for a few hours.

  “Goodnight, Grace.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Matthew

  October, 1942

  Luzon, Philippines

  After my meeting with Gandy, a courier from Manila brought a leaflet to camp with a list of guerrilla commanders and rewards for thei
r capture. I now, quite literally, had a price on my head. And my old pal Kojima was in charge of hunting down the guerrillas.

  Diego put together a small unit of bodyguards to travel with me wherever I went, assigning himself as head babysitter. I was not accustomed to being escorted at every turn, and this led to several tense exchanges. We finally reached an agreement that satisfied neither one of us. One of the bodyguards would be by my side at all times, except for when I was sleeping in my own quarters. That, at least, I could still do on my own.

  Soon after, Diego, Henry, seven of our best men, and I set out for the mountains near Fort Stotsenberg, careful to avoid the heavily traveled roads. Gandy had given me an idea of where Harris might be located, and luckily it was near the village where Diego had lived as a small boy. He still had family in the area, and they were eager to help guide us to the camp.

  As we approached the outskirts of Harris’s camp, several Filipino men appeared, brandishing bolos. For a moment, tensions flared, and my men encircled me with their weapons at the ready. Diego fired off rapid explanations, and slowly, the weapons were lowered.

  “Is that my good friends, Captain Doyle and Lieutenant Graves?” called out a voice from well beyond my line of sight into the jungle.

  “Sergeant Harris?” I called back.

  He came at us through the middle of the men, extending his hand to me first, then to Henry and Diego. “You boys look like you could use a good meal. Come on up to my headquarters, and I’ll get you all taken care of.”

  “Not exactly a warm welcome you’ve got here,” I said, nodding at his men.

  “Well, what d’ya expect? Tea and cake? Between the Japs and the Huks, a man has to watch his back out here.”

  “All the more reason to unite with like-minded friends,” I said.

  He raised an eyebrow before gesturing down a path behind him. “This way, fellas. I’ve got something special for you.”

  We followed two of Harris’s men along the winding path that snaked up ravines and crossed small streams, finding the camp within a few minutes. It reminded me of the children’s stories I’d read of stranded travelers on deserted islands. A central hut was situated about fifteen feet up into the trees, with a ladder descending from its middle. Smaller huts were built into other trees surrounding it. There was even a pulley system, which I imagined brought water buckets up to the huts.

  “Interesting base camp you have here,” I said.

  Harris beamed like a proud father. “We’re still working on some things, but it’s home for now. Come on up, and I’ll show you around.”

  I glanced at Diego and signaled for him to stay on the ground with the other men. Only Henry and I followed Harris up the ladder. Inside, it wasn’t much different from the other huts built all over the island. I walked over to a small window and glanced down on the men. Diego looked up at me, and I waved to show we were fine.

  “You said you had something interesting to show me,” I said, taking a seat on a stool. Henry continued to stroll around the hut, examining every inch.

  Harris grinned and went over to a bamboo desk to my left, unrolling a medium-sized map. He waved me over, so I stood and joined him. Henry came up on his other side.

  “We’ve gotten a report from our contacts north of here that there’s a good-sized convoy heading toward Manila, and it’s coming through Fort Stotsenberg tomorrow. From what we’ve gathered, it seems to be the perfect size for an ambush. Not too large; not too small.”

  “An ambush? You’re going to attack a Japanese convoy? Why?”

  “Why not?” Harris stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I figure it’s time to start giving the Japs some payback. And like I said, it’s not too large for us to handle. But now, if you and your boys come in with us—”

  “Out of the question,” I said.

  “Hold on a minute,” Henry said. “Let’s hear him out. Maybe he’s on to something.”

  I should’ve known better than to bring Henry along. It figured he’d want to jump on Harris’s bandwagon. “Now look here,” I said. “Major Gandy sent me up here to make contact and explain what we’re supposed to be doing. He’s eager to unite all the different units on Luzon.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Harris said. “I know all about what Gandy wants. He wants to sit back on his hands and wait for MacArthur to come back and save us all. Well, how did that work out for all of us making a stand on Bataan? While we were starving to death and getting shot to pieces, ole Dugout Doug was sneaking off to the safety of Australia. I don’t put any stock in waiting around for his return.”

  “The man’s got a point,” Henry said.

  I shot him a look meant to silence him. “I ain’t arguing for MacArthur. I feel much the same as you. But I’m an army man and an engineer, and I was taught the right way to do things. And that’s working together as a team, with an agreed leader and goal. Now maybe you’re right about some things, but Gandy has good points too. And he’s the superior officer. We owe him our allegiance.”

  “I don’t owe him anything,” Harris said. “I do owe the Japs a good whippin’, though.”

  “Again, I ain’t disagreeing with you. I’m eager to whip ’em. But we have to think about more than just our own desire for vengeance.”

  Harris looked between Henry and me before throwing his hands up. “Look, you fellas are welcome to stay as long as you like. Eat, get some sleep, and think about things. But come first light, my men and I are heading out to ambush the convoy. You can come along, or you can stay behind. Your choice.”

  Henry looked over at me, and I could see from his expression that he was itching to join Harris. He couldn’t hardly stand still. But I was responsible now for a whole camp of men, including Henry, and I wasn’t about to put them in harm’s way for no good reason.

  “Thanks for the hospitality,” I said. “But we’ll be heading back to our camp in the morning.”

  Henry’s expression fell. “Come on, Matt.”

  “No. It’s my call, and we ain’t going.”

  “Suit yourselves,” Harris said. “Come on down and eat, then we’ll get you boys settled somewhere for the night.”

  “I’m going,” Henry said.

  I stared him down, and the air in the hut filled with tension. Harris didn’t even try to hide his amusement. “Well, I’ll let you two work this out. Come on down when you’re ready.” He slid down the ladder, leaving me alone with Henry.

  It was all I could do to keep my cool. “How could you undermine me like that in front of him?” I demanded.

  “Undermine you? I think that rank is going to your head. You may be above me in the army, but you ain’t no better than me. And you sure ain’t gonna tell me what to do in the middle of the jungle.”

  “I certainly will tell you what to do. I’m your commanding officer, whether you like it or not. And you are going back to base camp with us in the morning. You got that, Lieutenant Graves?”

  His expression hardened, and he took a step toward me. He lowered his voice as he spoke. “Those dirty Nips killed my wife. I ain’t gonna just stand by and do nothing about it. And if they’d killed Ruby, you wouldn’t either.”

  “Henry, I know—”

  “We done had this conversation, and I ain’t having it again. I told you, I plan on killing every last one of ’em if I have to.”

  I could see there wasn’t any chance of reasoning with him. That darkness I’d seen in him on Corregidor overshadowed everything. I had to try something different.

  “Henry, you know I love Ruby with all my heart. If something happened to you, she’d never forgive me. You’re her rock. She needs you. And it’s my job to make sure you get through this war alive.”

  That seemed to make an impact. He blinked a couple of times and let out a deep sigh. He walked over to the window and leaned on his elbow. “I ain’t no rock. All I ever did was run away when she needed me. I ran out on the family after Daddy died. Couldn’t get back to Ruby during the trial. Even
dragged her into running away here.” He turned and faced me with a somber expression. “I thought marrying Janine would change things. I was finally going to quit running. But…it just wasn’t meant to turn out that way.”

  “Killing Japs ain’t gonna bring Janine back. It’s just another way for you to keep running. Don’t you see that?”

  There was a long pause, while Henry considered my words. “Maybe. Maybe you’re right.”

  “Don’t go down Harris’s path. It’ll only lead to death. Just come back with us in the morning.” I shoved my finger into his chest and smiled. “That’s an order.”

  He grinned and gave me a flimsy salute. “Sí, Captain.”

  ***

  I startled awake, unsure of where I was. Had I been dreaming? I sat up and looked around the hut, seeing only dark shapes of the bodies of my men.

  Next to me, Diego stirred and sat up also. “Qué pasa?” he asked, his voice low but tense.

  “I’m not sure,” I said, reaching for my pistol on the floor beside me. I stood and glanced around again. Then it dawned on me. “Where’s Henry?”

  “No sé, Captain.”

  “English, Diego. English.”

  “I do not know where Lieutenant Graves has gone, sir.”

  My chest grew heavy with dread. “Let’s wake the men up and get ready to move out. I’m pretty sure I can guess where he went.”

  We were alert and moving out within ten minutes. I explained to Diego what I remembered from the map Harris had shown me the night before, and he led us through the jungle at a pace I struggled to match. I noticed I was the only one having difficulty navigating the hills and ravines while roots grabbed at my ankles from below and thick leaves and vines swatted my face. The only thing keeping me from falling behind was the intermittent stopping to clear the thick vegetation. I had to wonder why Gandy had put me in charge when more than half the time I felt lost and overwhelmed.

  After about an hour of fighting through the damp morning mist, we came out onto a ridge above the road that led south to Fort Stotsenberg. Diego paused for a moment. “Captain, you said ambush will take place in the middle of the curve shaped like snake, yes?” he asked me.